Gun Sales for May Jump 16% Over Last Year
Gun Sales for May Jump with 136,919 NIC Checks More Than Last Year.
NCIS – -(AmmoLand.com)- Background checks on the sale of firearms reached a record number from the same time period last year.
Once again, record levels were reached during the month of May, showing that gun sales are no longer at a spike but are now sustaining at a level never before experienced in the USA.
Data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) show a 16 percent increase in May firearm purchaser background checks. A total of 1,023,102 checks were reported for the month, up from 886,183 in May 2008.
Federal law requires FBI background checks on individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers. The NICS increase coincides with an increase in federal excise taxes reported by firearms and ammunition manufacturers, another key economic indicator for the firearms industry. Trends such as excise taxes and NICS data are strong indicators of sales patterns; however, they are not actual sales.
There is no data source that captures firearms sales by month.
About:
The National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, is all about saving lives and protecting people from harm—by not letting guns and explosives fall into the wrong hands. It also ensures the timely transfer of firearms to eligible gun buyers.
Mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 and launched by the FBI on November 30, 1998, NICS is used by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to instantly determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to buy firearms or explosives. Before ringing up the sale, cashiers call in a check to the FBI or to other designated agencies to ensure that each customer does not have a criminal record or isn’t otherwise ineligible to make a purchase.
More than 100 million such checks have been made in the last decade, leading to only 700,000 denials proving out the vast number law abiding Americans that purchase guns.
